Gimme Shelter
by runaway-run
Summary: When Soda was ushered in he was still half conscious, even if hanging by a thread. He knew he was in pretty bad shape and he was trying to stay awake with all the strength he had left - not much, admittedly. He was so scared if he closed his eyes he wouldn't open them anymore. "Private Curtis, can you hear me?" (NOT a death fic!)
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi everyone! I haven't written anything for The Outsiders in a long time but this idea came to mind and I thought I'd give it a shot. I hope you guys like it (and hopefully my writing skills are not too rusty). Also, since English is not my first language, feel free to point out any mistakes :)**_

 _ **'Gimme Shelter' is one of my favorite songs by The Rolling Stones, give it a listen if you've never heard it before.**_

 **Gimme Shelter**

 _Oh, a storm is threatening_

 _My very life today_

 _If I don't get some shelter_

 _Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away_

He didn't know when the days started looking all the same. He couldn't remember the last time he'd spent a whole day not feeling afraid for his life. The one thing he knew for certain, the one thing that was always on his mind other than his family and friends back home, was that he only had one month left to go and then he'd go back. Eleven months in Vietnam, eleven months of training, fighting, running, hiding - eleven months without good food, nice showers, Pony's and Darry's hugs…

"Curtis, watch out!"

He wasn't fast enough and when he tried jumping out of harm's way he was propelled backwards by an explosion.

xxxxxx

The emergency room of the small hospital had been going at full speed for several hours and all the doctors and nurses were starting to feel exhausted, but stopping to get some rest was simply not an option. Too many soldiers' lives depended on them.

When Soda was ushered in he was still half conscious, even if hanging by a thread. He knew he was in pretty bad shape and he was trying to stay awake with all the strength he had left - not much, admittedly. He was so scared if he closed his eyes he wouldn't open them anymore.

"Private Curtis, can you hear me?"

A voice that seemed to come from a far away land echoed in his mind. He tried to reply, but he couldn't. His lips barely moved, but apparently that was good enough for the people checking on him because someone smiled. A nurse. He couldn't see her face well, his eyesight was getting fuzzy.

"Curtis? Curtis, stay with me, come on!"

Soda blinked a few times before he felt his eyelids become way too heavy and drifted off into sleep.

xxxxxxxx

For the umpteenth time, she found herself wondering what the hell those poor, young men had done to deserve ending up in an emergency room bleeding like crazy, some of them burned or missing a limb or horribly mangled. The sight of blood had never really been an issue for her, but since she'd been sent to 'Nam that had gradually changed. She was finding it so hard to stomach such sights, and yet, she'd grown used to it and she'd never falter nor feel sick. She knew she must stay focused, in check. There was simply too much at stake.

Sometimes she felt too young to be witnessing all those horrors, though. She was only twenty. She was the youngest nurse there, and she had realized that applying to go to the other side of the world because of a dumb, nationalistic whim had been such a stupid decision.

But at least she was useful there. She helped save lives. The first time a soldier had died in the operating room - he looked no older than nineteen - she'd had the instinct to rush out and bawl like a baby, but she knew she couldn't. She had tried to stay strong, even if she was pretty sure the doctor and the other nurses had seen right through her, and later, while she lay in her bed at the end of the long day, she'd finally gave in to all the overwhelming feelings and had cried her heart out.

The only thing that kept her going and helped maintain a bit of sanity was the thought that soon she'd go back home. Her time in Vietnam was almost over.

That day, as another soldier was rushed in, she took a good look at him, checking his wounds and blood loss. She was surprised to notice that, despite being caked with blood and dirt, he was very handsome. Young, as well, probably eighteen or nineteen. She read his name tag and called out his name. "Private Curtis, can you hear me?"

The young man's lips moved but he made no sound. She smiled encouragingly, a reaction was still better than none, considering how much blood he'd lost already. But, unsurprisingly, he looked on the verge of passing out.

"Curtis? Curtis, stay with me, come on!"

All the people in the room started moving frantically around the table and she heard one of the other nurses, Meg, curse under her breath.

"What's wrong?" she asked, only lifting her gaze from Curtis for a moment. He looked awful and she was afraid he wouldn't make it.

"We've almost run out of B+ blood, there's only a small amount and this boy here definitely needs a lot." She noticed he was wearing a tag with his blood type engraved on it. "What to do, what to do…"

"B+?"

Meg nodded.

"My blood type is the same." She quickly sat down on a nearby chair, rolling up her sleeve. "Come on, get some. I don't know if it will be enough but there's no other way around it, right?"

Meg hesitated. "I'd need to get more than the usual quantity and I'm not sure you'd feel so well working after this…"

She rolled her eyes. "It's not like we have a hell of a lot of options!" She was starting to feel impatient. "Hurry!"

The doctor also gave his approval and after that the rest of the day went by in a blur.

XXXXXXXXX

Soda slowly opened his eyes, feeling as tired as he'd rarely felt before. He didn't know that room, but he could see out of the corner of his eye a soldier lying on a bed next to his. He tried to move, but he found he had zero energy to do that.

He'd only been awake for a few minutes, trying to make sense of everything that had happened that day and that he was finding so hard to remember, when a soft voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"Good, you're awake! How do you feel?"

Soda looked up. A young nurse was standing by his side and was filling a glass with water. She gently brought it to his lips and he managed to swallow some. It felt cool and pleasant to his dry throat. "Where… am I?"

She smiled and Soda, even in his state, couldn't help but notice that she was very pretty. "You're safe now, don't worry. You only need to rest. Can you tell me your name?"

He tried to smile back but it probably came out as a grimace. "Sodapop… Curtis."

She seemed confused at first, then, after checking a folder nearby, she smiled again. "Right, Sodapop. I'm Sophia. How do you feel?"

He let out a soft sigh. "Tired. But… if I'd known that… nurses are so pretty 'round here… I'd have checked myself in earlier."

She looked at him in disbelief and chuckled. "Well, looks like you'll be fine if you have the energy to flirt. You'll be on bed rest for a while and I'll be around, so if you need anything at all - just ask."

Soda tried to nod. "I feel… tired." He tried blinking back sleep, but he wasn't sure how long he could do that for.

"It's normal. Go back to sleep, Sodapop. You'll be fine." She smiled, feeling relieved. She wasn't sugarcoating it, she believed every word. "You will be fine."

"Hmm…"

For the first time in God knows how many endless months Soda had nice dreams. He dreamt of Pony, Darry, Steve, Two-Bit. He dreamt of home. And of a nice smile and a pretty girl.

XXXXXXX

Thoughts? I'm considering writing more (maybe only a second part) but I'm not sure. Any suggestions are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello guys, thank you so much for your reviews! Since some of you said you'd like to read more, I've decided I will write a few more chapters after all, so I can do this story justice. Also, if you want to talk, message me anytime :)

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders or the song "Feel like I'm fixin' to die" by Country Joe and the Fish.

 _Well, come on all of you, big strong men,_

 _Uncle Sam needs your help again._

 _He's got himself in a terrible jam_

 _Way down yonder in Vietnam_

 _So put down your books and pick up a gun,_

 _We're gonna have a whole lotta fun._

Soda didn't really spend much time awake, in the following days. He would wake up every now and then, but he was feverish and he felt tired and dizzy, so he'd inevitably go back to sleep in half an hour or so.

The only time he stayed awake long enough to get ahold of a nurse and speak to her, he was told that he'd lost a massive amount of blood and, despite being patched up to the best of the staff's abilities, it would take him a while to recover. He'd still need lots of rest. He had a head concussion as well -sure enough, his head was partly bandaged- that contributed to his tiredness. The nurse had seemed unwilling to let him know about his conditions but he'd been able to get it out of her eventually.

On the fourth day since the accident, though, he woke up feeling better. The bed next to his was empty and he bitterly wondered if the boy there had died or had thankfully made a speedy recovery.

Soda looked around. He couldn't see well from the corner of the room, the curtains of the bed in front of his were drawn and the small place didn't have any other beds in there.

He was feeling so damn thirsty. "Hello?" his voice came out in a whisper and he felt awful. He couldn't even enunciate properly. "Hello!" he tried again, successfully this time.

Nobody replied.

Then he remembered. Maybe calling out her name would bring him some attention. "Sophia?"

Some nurse popped in then, but it wasn't her. That lady looked older, probably in her early 30s, and she looked as tired as Soda felt.

"How do you feel?" She came closer to check on him and helped him drink some water. She didn't have the same gentle manners that Sophia had, but Soda supposed that the war took a lot out of you and they probably didn't have time to pamper the guys around there. He couldn't blame her, but still felt disappointed. "I feel better… I guess. When can I get out of bed?"

"Not so fast, Curtis." She spoke his name in such a familiar way, but he'd never seen her before. Not when he'd been conscious, anyway. "You still need to rest. Maybe tomorrow or the day after that you can try taking a few steps around here, but you will grow even more tired, so take it easy."

She checked his vitals and scribbled something, then turned to leave.

"Wait, can you tell Sophia that I'd like to speak to her?"

The nurse gave him a funny look, but she eventually nodded. "Alright, try to stay awake long enough. She was probably going to check on you in a while, anyways."

Soda didn't understand but felt grateful. Less lonely. Ever since he and Steve had been separated, in Nam, he'd felt more and more detached from home. It had been months since he'd last seen him. Soda didn't know if he was alright, but he sure as hell knew that if someone could make it out alive of that mess it was Steve Randle.

"Hey, Sodapop. It's good to see you awake."

Sophia had just entered the room and quickly reached his bedside, smiling. She had dark bags under her eyes and she looked a bit pale, but still pretty. Maybe it was a shallow thought, but Soda wondered how come a girl like her was in Nam.

"Hi, I wanted to ask you something." He tried to sit up in bed and grimaced, everything hurt. The other nurse had told him that they'd been giving him morphine regularly and he was glad, he didn't want to imagine how much it would hurt if he was off pain killers.

Sophia was by his side in a second, helping him get more comfortable. "Don't push yourself. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I…" Soda hesitated. He didn't seriously think he had a chance of finding out anything about his best friend, but there was no harm in asking. "I don't guess… I don't guess Steve Randle is in this same hospital?" he wondered, hopeful, barely holding it together. If she'd told him that he was seriously wounded or worse, Soda didn't know how he'd cope…

"Steve Randle? The name doesn't ring a bell, but I could check some files. I can't promise anything, this hospital is messy and it's hard to keep track of everything, but I can try." She smoothed the blanket on his bed, an automatic gesture that she'd repeated so many times, and smiled. "Is he your friend?"

"Yeah. We were drafted together, but I haven't seen him in months."

She seemed to sense his uneasiness and quickly changed subject. "Where are you from, Sodapop?"

"Tulsa, Oklahoma. I don't guess you've heard of it? It's no New York City." he tried joking, but he wasn't feeling particularly funny. He was starting to feel a bit drowsy again.

"Yes, actually I've heard of it, even if I've never been there. I'm from a small Californian town. I really wanted to get out of there, you know? I didn't like living there. So I volunteered to come here, I wanted to help." She paused, seemingly wanting to add something. Soda waited, but she didn't go on. And since he had something else he needed to ask, he acted, before she could leave or tell him to go back to sleep.

"I was wonderin' if you could help me… write a letter." He didn't feel good enough to do all the writing by himself, he could already feel a raging headache coming and that was simply because he'd been awake and talking. "To my family. I haven't had the chance to write in a while… I want them to know I'm fine." He tried to give her one of his famous charming smiles and it probably worked, even in his condition, because she didn't hesitate.

"Yeah, of course. I have some free time now, would you like to start?"

Soda eagerly nodded.

Sophia disappeared to retrieve some paper and a pen and when she came back she offered some orange juice to him. "Here. It's not much, I'm sorry, but it will feel good on your dry throat."

Soda thanked her and started taking a few small sips. She sat on a chair that she drew near the bed, waiting.

Then, he suddenly was at a loss for words. "Hum… maybe I should try doin' it on my own…" Everything that came to mind seemed too intimate to say it out loud, all of a sudden. Even if it was a letter to his brothers and not to a girlfriend, he felt self conscious.

"Sure, here you go." She smiled encouragingly at him as she handed him paper and a pen.

Soda scrunched up his face in concentration as he wrote. He knew he'd make tons of spelling mistakes, but he was sure Pony - and Darry- wouldn't really mind. They'd just be happy to hear from him. Before he was ambushed with the rest of the guys in the jungle, before he was hospitalized, he hadn't had the chance to write in weeks.

In the end, he was able to write a decent letter and he sighed when he handed the closed envelope to the young nurse. "Could you write the address?" He was way too exhausted to add anything else.

"Of course."

When Soda gave her the names and the address, she smiled. "You must have quite the creative parents, you and your younger brother have unique names."

"Yeah, they were. At least my dad." Soda seemed to realize something. he hadn't mentioned his brothers to her, for all she knew they could be his father and brother, or friends, or relatives. "Wait- how do you know it's my brothers?"

"When you were unconscious and still running a fever… you talked in your sleep. You didn't say much, but from what I gathered Darrel and Ponyboy are your brothers. Don't worry, you didn't mention anything too personal."

She tried reassuring him, but Soda didn't know if she was only being nice or if she was telling the truth. He supposed he was lucky since he wasn't someone that got embarrassed easily. "Yeah, Pony's my little brother and Darry's the oldest." He missed them like crazy, words couldn't express the feeling in his gut when he thought about them.

"I will mail this tomorrow morning," Sophia promised, pocketing the letter. "You will see them soon, Sodapop. You only have three weeks left in Vietnam."

 _If this place don't get blown up or nothin',_ Soda thought, but didn't voice his worries. He smiled instead and hoped she was right. Going home was the only thing that mattered.

* * *

Once Sodapop had fallen back asleep, Sophia didn't bother leaving the room. He or the other young man there, also asleep, could need her anytime, after all, and she found herself lost in her thoughts.

When Sodapop had told her he'd been drafted, she'd felt her blood chill. She knew it was nothing out of the ordinary, but everytime she encountered one of these young men, boys still, everytime she realized that most of the ones fighting in Nam had been drafted without having a say in the matter, she felt sick. She, for one, had volunteered - and each passing day she felt as if she was bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders, when she was but a figure in a Monopoly game.

She stared at Sodapop and grabbed a cool cloth to press on his heated skin. The temperature in the room wasn't ideal, but they couldn't do much about the humidity and the hot weather of that country. She wondered if he had a girlfriend waiting for him back home, if his brothers risked getting drafted too, what kind of life he'd left behind. Fantasizing about the people she met gave her the strength to keep going, and at the same time it was tough not to get too involved with some of them, when she got to speak to them and they got to know each other.

Sodapop Curtis was young, handsome, probably perfectly healthy before he was sent to Nam, and she was sure he had a great life ahead of him. She only hoped he'd held out until his time there was over.

"We gotta get out of this place… if it's the last thing we ever do."

* * *

Opinions and reviews are welcome :) xx


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! I know it's taken me a while to update, I've been away and only got back a few days ago. I originally wasn't planning to write more than two or three chapters of this story, but it almost has a life of its own now, haha. I can't help but keep writing.

Please let me know if you liked this chapter, I'm not too sure about the way it came out.

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders and the song 'Peace train' by Cat Stevens. Give it a listen if you haven't heard it before :)**_

 _Now I've been crying lately, thinking about the world as it is_

 _Why must we go on hating, why can't we live in bliss_

 _Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train_

 _Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again_

Soda gradually started to spend less time sleeping and more time awake, chatting with a guy they'd brought in after he'd been shot in the leg but, other than the cast that he was wearing, he was not in a serious condition. He also enjoyed talking to the nurses, except one of them who was way too stuck up, but his favorite was still Sophia.

He'd written another couple letters to his brothers as well. He could picture Pony's worried face when he read that he'd been hurt and Darry's grave look when he went over the few sentences he'd scribbled messily, but he had also assured them that he was fine and it was only a matter of time before he was out of there. Actually, it was only a matter of weeks before he went home to Tulsa. He couldn't wait and he kept counting down the days, although when he'd asked for official information on his departure they hadn't been able to tell him anything yet.

"Hey, Curtis. What's the first thing you're gonna do once you're back in the good ol' US of A?"

Soda turned his attention to Mark, the guy who'd been shot in the leg. They were both standing near a window, holding crutches, looking outside. Soda could walk normally but he got very tired often and the nurses insisted he'd use crutches anyway, since he needed to regain his strength. "I'll eat a damn chocolate cake, whole."

He didn't think his reply was funny, but Mark started laughing and coughing at the same time. He _really_ needed to cut down on smoking. He reminded him a bit of Dally, although they looked nothing alike: Mark was taller than Dallas, probably almost as tall as Darry, he had short black hair and dark brown eyes which crinkled at the corners when he laughed. His skin was tanned - whether because he'd always been that way or because of all the time spent in the jungle he had no idea- and he often looked like he was up to no good, even in the hospital. He would make sarcastic remarks straight to the nurse's faces and crude comments when he thought they weren't listening, but they would often hear everything and opt to ignore him. Mark had nothing on Dally's dirty mouth, but he still managed to sound disgusting enough at times. Other than that, he didn't seem a bad person and he'd found himself in Soda's shoes: eighteen when he'd been drafted, turned nineteen while in 'Nam, wounded in the jungle, close to the twelve month of service when he'd be sent home. He still had one month left to go and Soda wasn't sure if they'd send him back to the rest of his unit once his leg healed properly.

"A chocolate cake? Man, I can't believe you said that!" He then proceeded to explicitly tell Soda that he would be sleeping with some girl as soon as he landed. He said he'd been with girls from Nam but they weren't his type. He liked blondes. Soda couldn't help but stifle a smile, he'd always been into blondes, too…

"Well, if I had a girl waiting for me I'd be looking forward to that, too, I guess…"

"I ain't got nobody waitin' for me. Who says you need a girlfriend? You can pick up anybody with that face of yours, anyways." Mark grinned as he lit up a cigarette and Soda playfully smacked him. "What about that nurse?"

Soda pretended to not understand. "Who?"

"C'mon, man, I'm talking about Sophia. You're clearly into her and who wouldn't, she's the only pretty one 'round here, I'm surprised she's in a place like this and not in some town in the US, married with a kid on the way." Mark exhaled some smoke and Soda looked at him, silently, wishing he wouldn't speak like that. He was no stranger to brag talk, alright, but he didn't want Mark to speak about her as if she was a trophy, or somethin'.

"Who knows if she has a boyfriend back home." He commented casually, not wanting to speak about the matter. She probably had someone, but if she did, how come she decided to go to Nam? He definitely wouldn't have in her place…

"I don't think so." Mark lit up another cigarette and for a moment he looked distant, peaceful. He was staring at the thick vegetation outside. "Hey, here she comes. I'll leave you two alone."

Soda rolled his eyes as Mark trudged away on his crutches and winked at Sophia as she passed him. She didn't seem to notice.

"Hi, Soda. How are you feeling today?" She stopped in front of him and offered a genuine smile. It was only nine in the morning but she already looked tired.

"Better, thanks." He smiled as well, he was genuinely feeling happier since he was out of bed and walking around. "Rough night?"

"A bit. I didn't get much sleep. Listen, remember when you asked me about your friend Steve Randle? Well… I didn't find out anything about him, which might mean good news. I also phoned another hospital, they haven't heard of him."

Soda was taken aback. "You can do that?"

"Well, technically I couldn't, but I asked for a favor… I know one of the doctors over there."

Soda noticed the faintest trace of pink on her cheeks and wondered. Was that doctor a lover? He couldn't ask her and what would change if he knew, anyway? "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She eyed his crutches, then added: "I bet you can't wait to get rid of them, but it's good that you're back on your feet."

"Yeah, I mean, I'll be thrilled when I don't need 'em no more but at least I'm not bed-ridden now." He paused. He wanted to ask her something, but the question he had in mind was way too serious and he didn't know if they were 'close' enough to ask. So he opted for something else. "What are you gonna do once you're back home? I mean, the first thing you really wanna do? Not counting meeting family and friends."

She looked a bit surprised, but promptly gave him a smile. "Sleep. I want to sleep for 24 hours in a row. I don't even care if that's not humanly possible, I'll do my best to make it come true."

Soda cracked up. Mark had thought his chocolate cake reply was funny, but Sophia's answer was even better. "What? I haven't got more than six hours of sleep in a row since I got here and even that's a luxury sometimes!" She protested, but only half-heartedly. She didn't seem to mind that he was laughing so much.

"Sorry. I guess that ain't a bad thing to look forward to," he conceded, once he'd got ahold of himself. "Hey, what about-"

"Sophia!"

They both turned around. One of the older nurses was gesturing to Sophia, signaling to reach her. She let out a small sigh, as she turned to Soda: "I'm sorry, I have to go. We can talk later over lunch if you want."

"Sure, see you later!"

Soda watched her walk away, admiring her figure. She wasn't tall, just average, and the nurse's uniform was kind of loose on her but even so he could tell she looked good underneath. Inevitably, he found himself thinking about his previous girlfriends. Sandy had been the most important and longest relationship he'd had, even if he'd dated another girl after her. They had only lasted a few months though and they'd broken up before Soda even knew he was getting drafted. He felt frivolous thinking about it, but he really couldn't wait to go home and get back to his old life - working at the gas station, hanging out with his buddies and his brothers, flirting with cute girls and dating…

...Then he realized that he had no clue about Steve yet, and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He was safe, but what about his best friend?

XXXXXX

Soda had a hard time falling asleep that night. Since they were slowly taking him off strong painkillers he hurt all over and he kept tossing and turning in bed. He even woke up Mark, who threatened to kill him if he didn't stop making noise. Soda couldn't see how his light movements had woken him, but he decided to go for a walk around the hospital and try to get tired enough to fall asleep right when he came back.

He was slowly making his way down the corridor, when he heard a familiar voice come from one of the offices. The door was slightly ajar and he couldn't help but stop and listen.

"...I don't see how this is any of your business anyway-"

"Sophia, I'm not saying you mustn't talk to him but you're getting way too close to private Curtis and that's not going to do you any favors. I know you want to make sure he's safe and he recovers well, you even donated your blood to him-"

Soda's eyes widened. Sophia had given him her blood? Had that happened while he was having surgery? He had no idea, she hadn't told him, and he could see why, but…

"Look, Meg, I know you like to worry about everything and everyone but I'm fine. I may be a little partial to him, so what? He's a good guy and I want to see him through till they send him home."

Sophia sounded fed up with the conversation. Soda lingered outside the room, wondering if he should leave or keep listening.

He'd always been curious. Maybe not as curious as Ponyboy, but still.

He chose to stay.

"Oh, whatever. I'm not your mother nor your supervisor, but I'm also not the one who's going home heartbroken. Do what you want."

Meg sounded pissed, and Soda couldn't see why she cared so much.

"Damn right I will. Soda's not like Dr. Morris, you know."

He didn't get the reference. Dr. Morris wasn't one of those working there, as far as he knew.

Meg muttered something under her breath and Soda didn't get it.

Maybe it was time to leave. He quietly moved away from the room, still thinking about the implications of what he'd just heard.

He had a feeling he wasn't gonna get much sleep either way.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey fellow Outsiders fans, long time no update, sorry! I hope you'll check this out anyway :) and let me know what you think!

Lyrics in the beginning belong to Simon&Garfunkel. Soda belongs to S.E. Hinton (Lucky lady!)

* * *

 _But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity_

 _Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me_

 _Homeward bound, I wish I was_

 _Homeward bound_

 _12 days._ That was how much time Soda had left in Vietnam. He was steadily improving and regaining his strength, so much that he really didn't need crutches anymore but every single nurse insisted that as long as they didn't clear him he needed to go around using them. Of course, whenever they were too busy, he would ignore them, only to get reprimanded if one spotted him.

Sophia was the only one who didn't get on his case. If she saw him, she would pretend not to notice or she'd simply tease him with a good natured laugh. She looked more and more tired every day, though, and he found himself thinking that he wanted to do something for her, to help her out in some way. But he could do nothing, really.

"What's with everybody today? They keep coming and going in a rush," Mark commented as he and Soda stood beside an open window to smoke together. They'd been there ten minutes and at least four nurses had run back and forth during that time.

"I heard they're going out tonight, well, some of them. They change shifts every now and then, y'know? So that they can go somewhere and unwind for a night." Soda quietly told him. He didn't really like smoking, but there wasn't much to do and he didn't want to be a spoilsport.

"Hmm. I wonder who's going to stay behind."

Truthfully, Soda was a bit jealous. Since he was feeling better he wished he could go out, for a change of scenery, and forget about everything for a while. He wouldn't drink - he hated drinking - but he would love to dance. And he knew who he'd ask to dance with him. The girl with the prettiest green eyes…

"Hey, Soda, you should go too. I bet Sophia would like to get some quality time with you."

Mark's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "Cool it, man." For some reason it really bothered him when Mark talked about her. "Wanna play poker?" he immediately added. Anything to distract himself and the other.

His friend nodded and they headed back to their room. Soda couldn't help but think that he wanted to ask Sophia if she'd really donated her blood to him and _why -_ he was just another soldier to her and he doubted he'd even looked handsome at all when he'd been found, so she couldn't have been attracted to him like many other girls before her. Besides, he doubted she'd give him her blood for such a shallow reason.

* * *

"I'm so bored. How could everybody leave us without nothing to do?"

Soda ignored Mark's complaints. He was bored, too, but it wasn't the doctors' and the nurses' job to keep them entertained. He was so much grateful they'd saved his life, he couldn't ask for more.

"Soda, wanna raid the kitchen?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll go for a walk. Nobody's around so I don't need to pretend I'm using crutches." He grinned, and Mark threw a pillow at him. With the cast on his leg he couldn't exactly avoid that. "Hey, I'll try to nick some cigarettes." He promised, hoping to improve the other's mood.

When he started walking around the small hospital, though, he didn't like the feeling. Everything was too quiet. There were a few other soldiers admitted there, but if they weren't sleeping they must be seriously wounded or very calm, because he couldn't make out any voices. And there wasn't a single nurse around.

 _I wonder what Sophia's doing now. I wonder if she likes drinking. She doesn't look the type, but…_

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Someone had bumped into him. The green-eyed girl he couldn't stop thinking about. "I thought you were out?" He guessed, puzzled. Sophia was still wearing her nurse's uniform, but no hat. Her long hair wasn't tied back, for once, and it cascaded down her back. It was shiny and pretty, and probably very soft.

"No, someone had to stay here and another couple of girls and I didn't feel like going out. We're dead tired." She smiled. "Don't worry, a doctor stayed behind as well. You're all in good hands."

"I wasn't worried…"

He knew everything could happen at any given time, even if the hospital was located in a supposedly safe zone there was no guarantee they wouldn't get attacked. The chance was low, but still there.

"I see you're walking around without crutches, yet again." She crossed her arms and pretended to be annoyed. "Private Curtis, what are we gonna do with you?"

"Huh… forgive me because I have a great fashion sense?" He joked. He was wearing the standard hospital t-shirt and trousers.

Sophia finally let out a small laugh. "I guess. I was going to have some cool tea, want some?"

"Sure, why not." Soda hated tea with a passion, but if he got to spend time with her he'd even down pure whisky.

He winced as he sat on a stool - he still felt a bit of pain at times - and looked curiously at the record player in the corner of the small room, which was something between an office and a kitchen. "Hey, can we play some music?" His eyes lit up. He hadn't had the chance to listen to music in such a long time…

"Sure, if we keep it down. We don't have many records here. What about… Simon&Garfunkel?" She asked, as she put on a record. The lyrics of _Homeward Bound_ filled the room and Soda made a face. "This song is sad."

"Well, it's hopeful, I think. But I should've guessed- you're more a Rolling Stones kind of guy, right?" She handed him the cup of tea and sat in front of him, sipping on her own.

"Hmm, well, I like 'em better than The Beatles for sure."

Time seemed to fly as they started talking about their favorite music, their tastes and everything else that came to mind. "Sophia?" Finally, he dared to ask. "Is it true that… did you really give me your blood when I was brought here?"

Sophia stilled and looked nervous, all of a sudden. "How do you know?"

"I overheard a conversation. I didn't mean it… and I swear I won't tell nobody, I just wanted to ask… why?"

She looked up. A few strands of hair framed her beautiful face, her green orbs stared into his brown ones, as her hands fidgeted in her lap and for a moment Soda saw right through her, he saw the young, scared girl, he saw her insecurities and her strengths, and the way she looked like pure sunshine right then.

He'd never seen anybody that way before. So he leant closer and kissed her.

* * *

It wasn't a long, passionate kiss. It was more of a peck on the lips, but to Soda it felt so good. He felt alive again.

When he parted from Sophia, he gently placed his hands on her face, keeping her close. He said nothing. They just stared at each other for a while, until she told him the reason he'd needed to hear. "I couldn't stand to see another die. I wanted to save you. I was this close to losing my mind…" She held her thumb and index finger very close together. "…I needed something to keep me going. I decided nobody would die that day. I was the only one with the same blood type as yours, as far as I know anyway, and I offered. We'd run out of B+ blood…"

Soda cut her off with another kiss. He hoped he would be able to convey how grateful he was.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, I'm finally posting another chapter! Please let me know what you think, I have thought about writing more but I'm not sure if I should stop once Soda gets home or explore a bit more what his life will be like once he's back in Tulsa and has to adjust to his regular life again. Still thinking...

Hope you enjoy reading!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own The Outsiders or I'd be rich and amazing.

* * *

"Private Curtis! You're going to fly home in four days. I'll come by with the official papers later."

Soda's eyes widened. The nurse - Meg, whatever her surname was - had entered the room and nonchalantly told him such a huge piece of news. Then she made to turn around and leave. "Wait! Am I flying alone? What about Mark? Or -"

"I'll come back later." _Unfriendly as usual,_ Soda thought. He looked around, as she left the room. Mark was having a check up done and he was alone, but he really needed to share the happy news with someone! He grabbed his crutches and headed down the corridor, looking around. He was hoping to bump into Sophia. Sure, he'd made friends with other guys there, but ever since the night he and Sophia had kissed, three days before, he hadn't seen her around much. He was pretty sure she was trying to avoid him and he didn't like it one bit.

He couldn't find her anywhere and in the end he stopped walking when he spotted a guy he knew nearby. His wounds weren't bad, considering, a broken arm and a few cracked ribs. He'd heal quite soon. "Hey, Jerry! Guess what? I'm going home next week!"

"Really? Damn, ain't you lucky! I can't wait to get the hell out of here, but I still have three months left." He offered Soda a cigarette, but he refused. "Hey, you're from Oklahoma, right? You're flying to California from here and then there? It's going to be a hell of a long flight."

Soda laughed. He found it funny, how Jerry kept throwing the word _hell_ in there. "Yeah, but you know what? I'd fly for a week straight if it meant going home!"

"I don't think they invented planes that can fly that long yet." Jerry started coughing like crazy and Soda looked at him, a bit puzzled. "You sick or something?"

"No, I've just been smoking too much. I'm bored out of my mind."

Soda took a good look around, then grinned. "I have an idea."

* * *

Sophia was wandering around the base camp, lost in her thoughts. It was an incredibly calm day and there wasn't much to do, at the moment. She only hoped it wasn't a case of calm before the storm.

Then she heard a commotion from the hall around the corner. She quickly ran over there to find out what was going on and she couldn't help but burst into laughter when she saw what Sodapop, Jerry, Mark and another guy called Tim were doing.

They'd managed to make a dartboard out of a piece of wood and had drawn numbers on it, while in the centre, in messy handwriting, stood the words UNCLE SAM. They were taking turns throwing knives and writing down the scores of each of them. They were apparently betting on cigarettes, judging on the pile that Mark had close to him.

"What is going on here?"

Of course, leave it to nurse Meg to spoil the fun. Sophia stopped laughing under her glare and everyone turned around dead in their tracks. "Huh, we were just… tryina have some fun?" Jerry suggested.

"Where did you get the knives? What if somebody gets hurt?"

"Well, good thing this is a hospital," Mark replied, and everybody - including Sophia - started laughing. Meg didn't find it funny though. "Ok, stop it now. Bring those knives back to the kitchen and wash them."

"Meg, they were bored. They didn't mean-"

"Sophia. That's not a valid reason to be throwing knives around, these aren't kids. They're grown ups."

"Everyone here's barely 20, they just wanted to unwind, come on. You can't blame them for that."

The boys were staring at them, entranced. They were probably worried the older nurse would blow up, but she eventually let out a deep breath and nodded. "Fine, but you keep an eye on them and bring those back to the kitchen when they're done. Oh, and give these to Curtis, will you?" She handed her some documents and left.

Sophia looked up with a smile. "Well, boys, you can go back to your games. Sodapop, can I talk to you for a second? You need to sign these papers."

"Yeah, sure."

Truth be told, Soda was really eager to talk to Sophia and spend some time with her without anybody else around, so he followed her into the closest office. "So, you're going home in four days! It's great, I bet you're looking forward to getting out of here. Have you phoned your brothers yet?" She asked nonchalantly, sitting down as she took a quick look at the papers, before handing them to him.

"No, I was only told this morning and I wanted more details before calling them." _I didn't want to get their hopes up for nothin'_ was what he really wanted to say. "Listen… I remember you telling me that you're also going home soon. Maybe someday - soon- I can offer you a hamburger?" He half-joked, half-asked with a grin.

"Oh, anything but that. I don't eat meat anymore. So many soldiers here… when they come in, their skin is burnt and I know that I will never get that smell out of my mind, but still… I just don't think I can eat meat anymore. You can treat me to a Coke and french fries if you want." She smiled, but she quickly looked down. Soda thought she was really doing her best to avoid looking into his eyes. "Hey…" He sat beside her. "What's wrong? Since the other night, you just- you have been trying to keep your distance, why? Did I make you uncomfortable?" He asked, pondering if he should try to get a hold of her hand or leave it be. He went the safest route and stayed still, in the end.

When Sophia finally raised her gaze and her green eyes stared into his brown ones, she didn't look mad or angry or disappointed or upset. On the contrary, she looked kind of relieved. "No, to be honest I thought you wouldn't want to be around me, that you'd tell me that those kisses were a mistake. I mean, I know we were caught up in the heat of the moment and they meant nothing, don't worry about it."

Soda couldn't believe her words. "But they meant something to me. I know that this… we're in a weird situation here, this is a war zone, but… I wanted to kiss you and I did. I think you're pretty and-"

"Soda." That was the first time she'd addressed him with his nickname. "We're going home soon and… we won't meet anymore after. And I think… we both want to leave this past year behind." She smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She got up and gently patted his shoulder, before exiting the room, leaving a very confused and disappointed Soda behind.

* * *

Ever since Sodapop had been drafted to Vietnam, whenever the phone rang in the Curtis household both Ponyboy and Darry would rush to answer, every single time hoping for good news, hoping to hear their brother's voice. He'd been able to make a few calls home over the course of those excruciatingly long months and while that didn't happen frequently Pony especially always held hope that his older brother was calling them to let them know the war was over and he was coming home sooner than expected and… well, Pony's wild imagination could conjure the wildest scenarios, really.

That day, though, only Darry was home. Ponyboy was still at school, practicing, and the oldest Curtis boy knew that the possibility of Soda calling wasn't likely. But he also knew that Soda only had a few days left in 'Nam, and so, maybe, luck would be on their side for once and he'd get the news that his little brother was coming home straight from the horse's mouth.

If looking after Pony and Soda after their parents' death had been tough, having Soda so far away from home, fighting in a war, had proven to be incredibly hard. Darry was always afraid of picking up the phone and hearing bad news, but he rushed anyway because not knowing was even worse, or so he thought. He couldn't wait to have his little brother back home, hopefully safe and whole.

That day, when the phone rang, Darry quickly picked up and braced himself. "Hello?" He wasn't dreaming, it was Soda's voice on the other hand! "Soda! How you doing, little buddy? Are you okay? What-" Soda cut him off and Darry almost jumped off the couch at the news. "You're coming home in four days? Of course! We'll be at the airport, what time? What do you mean you ain't sure yet…? Oh, okay." The stupid army wasn't sure about which of the connecting flights from California to Oklahoma he'd be on, yet. "It's… it's fine, don't worry. Pony's still out or I'd let you talk with him as well. Are you sure you're ok? You ain't hurt?" Soda reassured him that he was alright, but there was so much more that Darry wanted to ask. Only, Soda had to keep the call quick and he managed to ask Darry how he and Pony were doing, how things were going, before he had to hang up. Darry couldn't believe it and he couldn't wait to break the news to Pony, Two-Bit and everyone else. _Soda's coming home!_


	6. Chapter 6

Surprise! New update coming only a few days after I posted chapter 5 :D So proud of myself, haha. Please let me know what you think! I really intended to keep this story short but I suck at writing short fictions… oh, and by the way, the song lyrics in the beginning are from Eve of Destruction, I recommend giving it a listen. My favorite version is the one sung by Barry McGuire.

 **Disclaimer: _I don't own The Outsiders._**

* * *

 _The eastern world, it is explodin',_

 _Violence flarin', bullets loadin',_

 _You're old enough to kill but not for votin',_

 _You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'?_

 _And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin',_

 _But you tell me over and over and over again my friend,_

 _You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction._

"You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction…"

"Such an uplifting song you're humming."

Sophia quickly looked up from her papers. "Dr. Jackson. Sorry, I was just… for some reason this song came to mind and I started singing under my breath without even noticing."

Dr. Jackson smiled and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's fine, I was only teasing you. There's no reason for a young girl like you to be so pessimistic, though."

 _Really? I feel one hundred years old._ "You're right. Can I help you? I was just sorting out some documents here-"

"No, don't worry. Just checking if everything's okay round here, things have been pretty quiet lately. By the way, you're leaving in two days, I heard. You must be over the moon."

Sophia liked Dr. Jackson. He was a kind man in his early 40s, with reddish brown hair and warm brown eyes, always trying to help everyone and never losing his cool, not even in the hardest moments. She knew she would miss him and his New York accent. "Yes. I'm looking forward to going home, but at the same time I feel…"

"Guilty?"

She looked at him, surprised. How did he guess?

"It's okay, it's a common feeling. I've seen you do your best here and you deserve peace and tranquility like everyone else." He moved to the coffee maker and poured himself some, with a small smile. Sophia couldn't feel that way though. "But you… how do you do it, doctor? You've been here one year and a half. How do you resist?"

"Like everyone else. It's hard, but I chose to come and stay for longer than expected. I want to help. Oh, do I have nightmares though…"

"You do?"

"You sound surprised. I suppose you have a very different image of me from my real self, I'm not that strong." He smiled again, sipping on his coffee.

"I guess… but you always look so confident, everyone thinks of you as some kind of Superman." Sophia told him, hoping to make him smile for real. Before, he'd only shown her polite smiles. And it worked, because the doctor's smile genuinely reached his eyes this time around.

* * *

Soda was tossing and turning in his sleep. He had been for awhile, ever since his peaceful slumber had been interrupted by an awful nightmare.

 _He was running through the thick vegetation with the other soldiers. They knew the enemies were following them, they were too damn close, they needed to find shelter or they'd be ambushed and they'd all be killed… or worse, kept alive to be tortured…_

 _Then, someone appeared in front of him. Someone who shouldn't have been there, but was. So out of place in the jungle, in his regular dark t-shirt and worn out blue jeans. "Darry! Darry, what- WATCH OUT!"_

 _Soda had tried to warn him, but a vietcong had come out of nowhere and had jumped on his brother, knocking him out cold._

 _"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

 _The rest of his unit kept running and Soda and Darry were left behind. The vietcong who'd hurt his brother was standing beside them, glaring, and Soda was desperately trying to shield Darry. How could he though? He had a rifle, but he could already see so many enemies coming closer. It was the end, he knew it._

 _"You. Up."_

 _The vietcong who'd hit Darry ordered him to stand up, as he'd knelt down near his unconscious brother, but Soda refused to move and held Darry tight to him._

 _Right then, the short Vietnamese man pulled out a gun and aimed it at Soda's face, before pulling the trigger._

"NO! NOOOOOO!"

Soda's ear piercing scream woke almost everybody in the hospital, but him. He kept moving around in bed, almost falling off. Mark got to his feet as quickly as possible, but even if he kept shaking him Soda wouldn't wake up.

"What's going on?"

Dr. Jackson entered the room hurriedly, quickly followed by Sophia. Mark was real glad to see them, she could read it in his eyes. "He won't wake up!"

"Okay, stand back." Dr. Jackson stepped close to the bed and forcefully started shaking Soda's shoulders, holding him as firm in place as he could. "Curtis! Curtis, come on! Wake up! Sodapop Curtis!"

Finally, Soda's eyes opened and he looked around frantically, as if unsure of what was nightmare and what was reality. He didn't utter a word and he couldn't stop shivering. Sophia got a blanket and wrapped it around him, hoping to provide some comfort. She didn't know what he'd dreamt about, but she _knew_ nightmares. She had them. She'd see so many soldiers having them…

"Soda?" she gently called out his name, standing beside him. "You're safe now. You're safe." She repeated, hoping he'd realize she was telling the truth. Depending on the nightmare, he could be so shook up that he'd have a hard time snapping out of it entirely.

"What… what time is it?" Soda finally spoke up. It felt like that horrible nightmare had been going on for a long time, but he was sure it was still the early hours of the night. It was too calm in the hospital.

"It's a bit past midnight. You might want to go back to sleep." Dr. Jackson suggested. Soda didn't seem eager at the thought. "Would you like some pills to help you?" Normally, the doctors weren't so quick at giving out sleeping pills, but the doctor could tell when somebody needed them, and Soda had never really needed them before anyway, so he was willing to give him a couple of pills if he wanted. God knew Dr. Jackson had had enough of witnessing these young kids breaking down and hurting so badly, knowing they didn't deserve to go through half of what was happening to them - so he wanted to help, whenever he could, and ease their pain.

But Soda didn't seem relieved at the doctor's offer. "Can I have a walk around? To get my mind off things."

"Sure. Sophia, get him something warm to drink."

Sophia nodded and left the room with Soda, who was still wrapped in the warm blanket. He looked a bit pale, but once he sat down and started drinking some hot chocolate his face got some color back. "Thank you. It's so good." He whispered, never raising his gaze. He didn't want to, but he kept reliving the nightmare in his mind. Despite everything he'd been lucky in 'Nam, he'd never been hurt until the month before and he'd never really had any close encounters with vietcongs. Of course it hadn't been a pleasant experience, but he knew some soldiers had it much worse… and that nightmare had brought him back to the day he'd almost been blown up.

"I'm an only child."

Surprised, Soda looked up. "What?"

Sophia smiled encouragingly and went on. "Well, to be honest I have a half-sister, but my father left my mother when I was a baby, so I only know of her. I've never met her. Last time I met him - I was in middle school, I think. Anyway… I had a great relationship with my mother, growing up, but I always wished I had sisters. My mom worked a lot to make ends meet, and… sometimes I felt so lonely. I always wondered what having a brother or sister, or even more, would be like." She poured some more hot chocolate. "Did you always get along with your brothers?"

Soda was a bit confused by the sudden question, but nodded. "Yeah, we were always friends. We're all so different, but somehow we make it work. Pony, my younger brother…"

He started talking about his family, Ponyboy, Darrel, then Steve and Two-bit, telling her mostly funny stories from his childhood. Only much later, once he was in bed again, he realized she'd been able to take his mind off the nightmare with one simple question and for a crazy moment he wished he could take her home with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Soda couldn't believe he was finally going home.

Yet, there he was, ready to board the plane that would take him back to the US, more specifically to California. He then would have a layover of a few hours before getting on the flight that would take him back home, to Tulsa, to Pony and Darry and Two-Bit... and possibly Steve. They had left at the same time, so they were bound to be sent home on the same week, but he hadn't heard from his best friend in ages and he was really worried. He wished with all his heart that he was safe, that he was whole.

He wondered what life in Tulsa would feel like once he was back. Would it feel pretty much the same as when he'd left? Or would he feel terribly different? He had a hunch it would be the latter, but still, even if it would take time to adjust, to stop having nightmares about Nam, he couldn't wait. He was looking forward to hugging his family and friends again, to see their faces and their smiles once they'd welcome him back, to ask them about school and work and pretend he'd never left at all...

Vietnam had robbed him of one year of his life. He didn't want to give it any more time.

He looked around, as they all got ready for boarding. He had said goodbye to Mark before and he had tried talking to Sophia, but truth be told he wasn't in a hurry, because he'd found out she'd be on the same flight as him. And he intended to sit next to her and talk to her and try to convince her to visit him. It was totally unreasonable, he'd only known her for a few weeks, but he felt so connected to her like he'd never felt before, not to a girl at least. And she had saved his life, he didn't want to let her go so easily. Going back to the US at the same time had to be a sign, right?

* * *

Sophia was the last to board. She had taken her time to say goodbye to nurses and doctors and patients and, despite wearing a nurse uniform still, she knew she didn't need to be so formal anymore and had decided to put some make up on and wear some make up, for a change. To feel like a regular girl again. To think about herself for once, after long months in the hell of Nam. She wasn't used to it anymore and she almost felt guilty - and to think she'd only let her hair down and put on some mascara and eyeshadow and lipstick...

As she looked around for a seat, she spotted Sodapop. He was sitting in one of the first rows, the seat beside him empty. He smiled and gestured to it. For a split second she hesitated, but then she sat down willingly. "Hey, Soda." She looked at him carefully, studying his face. He looked good, much better than when he'd arrived at the hospital. He was probably slimmer than when he'd left for Vietnam, the soldiers all were, but his hair was getting longer and he looked really handsome.

"Hi. Looking forward to the long flight?"

"Right now I don't care how long it takes, I'm just glad we're flying home." She adjusted her seatbelt before looking up again. "You?"

"Hell yeah! I can't wait to land! But since it will be a long time before we do that..." he fished something out of his pocket. "Wanna play cards?"

Sophia smiled and nodded.

* * *

After a few hours everyone on board was either getting bored or sleeping. Soda had played cards with Sophia for a while and tried to ask her about her plans once they'd be back home, but she was pretty mysterious about it. He couldn't tell if it was because she wasn't sure what to do, herself, or because she was still trying to keep some distance from him.

She had started dozing off a few minutes before and Soda had been staring at her. He had never seen her relaxed until that moment. Being a nurse, she was always on the go or if she was free she would talk to him and other people, but she never looked truly peaceful. How could it be, in their situation?

He had never noticed her long lashes before, nor how beautiful her hair was, cascading in front of her face. He couldn't help himself but reach out, then stopping halfway. He wanted to touch her cheek, but he didn't want to bother her. He didn't know what she thought of him, really, and he was worried she couldn't wait to leave Vietnam again and never think about it anymore, including him.

He didn't want her to forget him.

But, just like when he'd been drafted, he didn't seem to have much choice in the matter.

* * *

Ponyboy had been pacing nervously for the whole afternoon, ever since getting home from school. Soda's flight would land at six and he was waiting for Darry to come home so that they would drive to the airport to pick him up, but Darry was late and Pony was starting to feel anxious. He couldn't wait to see Soda again, how come out of all days Darry just had to be late on this one?! Surely his boss would understand, damn it!

When he heard the front door open he rushed there and almost crashed against his older brother. "Darry! Finally! Let's go!"

Darry smiled tiredly. "Easy, Pony. I got a call this morning when you'd already left, Soda's flight is going to be delayed, he'll land at seven."

"What?" Pony couldn't believe their luck and started protesting, but Darry reminded him it was only an hour difference and he, too, was as impatient as his younger brother to see Soda again. Two-Bit had wanted to go, too, but he had eventually decided to let them have a family reunion in peace and had said he'd come by the next morning.

Since Pony wouldn't stop grumbling, Darry decided to leave even if they'd get there early. There wasn't much to do at home anyway, they would only grow more and more nervous and chances were the plane would land a bit earlier, maybe...

Truth was, Darry was a bit worried. He was worried about Soda, he was worried his injuries had been worse than what he'd told them on the phone, cause he knew his brother would have done everything to reassure them. But he had sounded good when they had spoken a few days before, when he'd told them he was flying home, and he clung on to the hope that Soda would be fine. He wasn't even that worried about bodily injuries, he had heard stories about soldiers who had fought over there and had come home so changed, finding it difficult to adjust to life in the US again.

But he hadn't told Pony about any of his worries. His youngest brother was only sixteen and he didn't deserve to carry such a burden, it had been bad enough having Soda away from them, constantly wondering if he'd come home unscathed.

He could only hope.

* * *

 _I haven't updated in a long time but today I just re-read this story and thought I'd give it a shot again. I think I'll try to finish it, only a couple more chapters left. If you're reading, let me know what you think and thank you!_


End file.
